Retailers make huge reformulation progress

28 April 2010

Major retailers are detailing the extensive progress they have made in reducing saturated fat, sugar and salt levels in their own-brand processed foods over the last three years.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is today (Wednesday) publishing Retailers' Commitment to Health: Reformulation Achievements – it provides a comprehensive update giving specific examples of retailers' reformulation work on a product by product basis. This builds on the BRC's previous British Retailing: A Commitment to Health document, which detailed retailers' policies on nutrition.

Notable results highlighted in the latest report include reducing saturated fat by as much as 50 per cent in cheese and by 30 per cent in sandwiches. Most retailers have introduced one per cent fat milk, which has 73 per cent less saturated fat than the full fat version. Other successes include reducing sugar in soft drinks by four per cent. Retailers have also led the way in meeting the Food Standards Agency's challenging salt targets.

Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, British Retail Consortium Assistant Food Director, said: "Retailers have the best record in the UK food industry on reducing fat, sugar and salt in products, providing nutritional information and delivering promotions on fresh food.

"Reformulating food products without comprising taste, safety and quality hasn't been easy. But BRC members are fully committed to helping develop food that provides customers with healthier choices at affordable prices and to publishing the progress they're making.

"Retailers' extensive work on reformulation is only part of the overall obesity equation. Other factors such as consumer awareness, exercise and education shouldn't be ignored."

Notes:

A full version of the BRC's Retailers' Commitment to Health: Reformulation Achievements report is available using the following link:

www.www.brc.org.uk/downloads/Retailers_Commitment_to_Health_Reformulation_Achievements_May_2010.pdf